Aquarius dawns!

At 15.27 UT today the Sun moved (astrologically) into the sign of Aquarius...and we may well be in the Age of Aquarius too, although there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on when this actually is.  I think it’s safe to say we’re in the ‘dawning of the Age of Aquarius’, though!

Constellation of Aquarius

Here in the northern hemisphere the days are starting to lengthen, now that the Midwinter Solstice has passed, and there’s a sense of hope in the air. Spring (in the northern hemisphere – apologies to southern hemisphere-based readers!) is on its way, and we may perhaps find a spring in our step too, as we look forward to this!  Hope in the air – how appropriate... Aquarius is an Air sign, and the tarot card from the Major Arcana associated with it is the Star, the card of hope and optimism.

Ganymede

But first, what is Aquarius all about, in terms of astrology?  It’s represented in the zodiac by the water carrier, but who is this figure? There are many Aquarian myths – that of Uranus, for instance, the sky god of the Greeks who looks down from above and sees into the future. He was the first creator god in Greek mythology, married to Gaia, the Earth. His creations never met his high expectations, and he was considered to be cold and aloof. Ganymede, also from Greek myth, became the cup-bearer to the gods and was placed in the heavens as the constellation of Aquarius. Other stories include that of Prometheus (his selfless act in stealing fire from the gods to give to humanity being the epitomy of Aquarian humanitarianism), Hercules’ cleaning of the Augean Stables (“cleaning the slate”), and Gilgamesh’s search for the Herb of Immortality (realizing that man can’t live forever).

Prometheus

The sign of Aquarius has two planetary rulers.  It’s traditionally ruled by Saturn, emphasizing restraint, objectivity and detachment.  Detachment also comes from Uranus, which became the modern ruler of Aquarius after its ‘discovery’ in 1781 in Bath (UK) by William Herschel. Uranus had been observed a number of times before this, but was usually mistaken for a star. Herschel himself originally thought it was a comet but by 1783 it was classified as a planet - the same year that the American Revolution ended with the signing of a peace treaty with the British, and only six years before the French Revolution. The Industrial Revolution had not long begun either – so it’s no wonder that Uranus has become associated with rebellion, revolution, and the reforming of society.  The famous “liberté, equalité, et fraternité” of the French Revolution could sum up Uranian, and by association Aquarian, qualities.

The sign of Aquarius combines the element of air with fixed energy, making it a very ‘in your head’ sign.  Despite being the carrier of water, it often seems to be out of step with emotions and can – like the sky god Uranus - seem very detached or aloof.  It’s linked to original thinking, ingenuity, inventiveness, and innovation.  Aquarius is a reformer and a humanitarian, and is linked to the (astrological) 11^th House through its concern with community and groups, not to mention ideology.  But despite that, the Aquarian could be seen as an “armchair activist”, not wanting to be in the thick of things but preferring to remain detached. On the other hand, some see “Citizen Smith” (BBC, 1977-80) as an Aquarian figure!

For the next 4 or so weeks, I’ll be exploring the DruidCraft Tarot to see if the cards that are linked to Aquarius in this deck reflect this detached revolutionary idealistic humanitarianism!

Capricorn in the DruidCraft court cards

Now let’s look at Capricorn in the court cards. But which one – or ones?  Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards, depending on how cardinality, fixity and mutability have been assigned to the cards.  As Capricorn is the cardinal Earth sign, I’m looking for the Pentacles court card that’s associated with cardinality. 

So what court card does this represent?  If you work with a system that assigns cardinality to the Kings, you’re looking at the King of Pentacles.  Although the Druidcraft was not created with astrology in mind, I want to look at the King of Pentacles in this deck to see if I can see any Capricornian qualities at work.

King of Pentacles (trimmed):
DruidCraft Tarot

Here we have the King on his throne, dressed in red and green. His left foot rests on a plinth in which is carved a goat. Ah-ha! ... my first link to Capricorn (and as the Queen's throne is decorated with bulls, I see her carrying more Taurean qualities).

This king is basking in the warmth of his home, his castle – the results of the steady, determined hard work that’s allowed him to realize his ambition.  The goat under his foot reminds me of the sure-footedness of the mountain goat as he picks his way around obstacles in his way to the top, maintaining his integrity as he pursues his goal. Security and stability have been gained through effort and sheer determination, and the King is now in a position to share this wisely and generously.

Druidcraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections 2004

Capricorn in the DruidCraft Minor Arcana: The Four of Pentacles

Moving on from the Three of Pentacles, and that sense of initial completion – the result of patient, disciplines planning – we come to the Four.  We’ve progressed from the expansiveness and benevolence of Jupiter, in the Two, through the determination and drive of Mars in the Three, into the power of the Sun – all in Capricorn.  The Four of Pentacles is linked to the final ten days of this sign, from the 10^th-20^th of January.

The Sun in Capricorn conjures up a sense of creative energy being “coloured” by discipline and tradition – a single-mindedness, perhaps, working towards a well-defined target. Whatever that target or goal is, it’s going to be about being able to express ourselves and our creativity, but in a responsible way. On the downside, pessimism and cynicism can stand in the way of progress.  We might also find ourselves overly concerned with ‘how things look’, or wanting to hold on to what we have.  Either way, the Sun in Capricorn can represent a strong commitment to the material things in life – be they possessions and/or resources. 

Four of Pentacles (trimmed): DruidCraft Tarot

We see this in the Four of Pentacles, which often symbolizes a fear of letting go, especially in terms of material things.  We may need to be reminded that although nothing is lost if we hold on to what we have, we may not gain anything either – we run the risk of stifling the flow of energy, instead of letting things run their natural course. The expansion that Jupiter promised in the Two could be hindered through our fear of ‘what might happen’ – the ‘what ifs’. 

But here we have the strength of the Sun in a strong, steady, determined Earth sign. It’s grounded. That chest, holding treasured material possessions (we assume), in the image is solid. It rests squarely on all four corners.  Squares are stable, powerful structures; it’s hard to move them - so there’s a sense of protection here, but also of rigidity. The solidity of the structure reflects our own Capricornian integrity, but also reminds us of the danger of inflexibility and the inability to compromise. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Druidcraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections 2004